Judge rules winner of $560M Powerball can remain anonymous

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Judge rules winner of $560M Powerball can remain anonymous

NASHUA, N.H. — A judge has ruled that a New Hampshire woman who won a Powerball jackpot worth nearly $560 million can keep her identity private.

Judge Charles Temple said in a ruling Monday that disclosing the woman’s name would be an invasion of privacy. He ruled, however, that her hometown can be released publicly.

Lawyer William Shaheen said Monday the woman is from Merrimack, about 25 miles south of Concord.

The unidentified woman signed her ticket after the Jan. 6 drawing, but later learned from a lawyer that she cold have shielded her identity by writing the name of a trust. They said she was upset after learning she was giving up her anonymity by signing the ticket _ something the lottery commission acknowledged isn’t spelled out on the ticket, but is detailed on its website.

The woman’s lawyers argued her privacy interests outweigh what the state said is the public’s right to know who won the money in the nation’s eighth-largest lottery jackpot.